Author Archives: SL

Let’s ask ourselves a couple of questions. What do we want our students to be able to do? How do we use writing? Think hard. Be honest. If you teach math, really think about how your class is organized and … Continue reading →

Students are never too young to write. It should be a focus of early education to instill a love of literacy in students. We generally get from our students what we expect. With that being said, I am sharing with … Continue reading →

Argumentative writing is all around us. It’s everywhere in the real world. When we teach our children this mode of writing, we are preparing them for their tomorrows. Argument writing is not new and includes Professional debates Cover letter pitches … Continue reading →

Good writers follow a process. Teaching students the writing process is setting them up for more success. The first copy is also called a rough draft or a sloppy copy and is created after the prewriting step. Once the sloppy … Continue reading →

Writing FORCES thinking, about the unknown, as well as the known. This forces ACTIVE learning. Writing strengthens understanding, allows connections with prior learning, increases retention, and helps develop vocabulary. Since this is all accurate, why are we not having our … Continue reading →

Valentine’s Day. For many, it’s a day of love, endless joy, and doting on those we hold dear. Chocolates, flowers, handmade cards, and words of affirmation pepper the atmosphere. For others, it’s a reminder of the hurt from the past, … Continue reading →

Rubrics Extra Instruction Reteaching Skills Mini-lessons Modification Allowing extra time Praising performance and effort Increasing student writing conferences Pairing up peers Revise and edit one skill at a time. RTI What are you currently doing to gauge your students’ writing … Continue reading →

Yes, many Gifted students also have been diagnosed with ADHD. Knowing this and appropriate writing strategies will make your life…and theirs…much better. To be honest, any students who have characteristics of ADHD, though not diagnosed, may benefit just as well … Continue reading →

Think about the ways you learned new vocabulary and then throw that information away. Times have changed, and to be honest, some of the ways we were taught new vocabulary did not work. Research and student observations in our own … Continue reading →

When students are asked to write in a social studies classroom, they are generally being asked to write to demonstrate the knowledge they have been taught. They are being asked to write to see what they have learned. Writing in … Continue reading →